“Hell, you look like an angel,” Cain mumbles after nearly choking on his drink when I walk into Nikoli’s office after saying goodbye to the girls and promising to come back soon. I smooth down my tight, dark blue dress that has a long spilt all the way up my leg as I glance around to see we are alone. My hair is down, curled perfectly, and my makeup matches my dress and blue nails. I don’t usually dress up like this, but seeing the look on Cain’s face, I might do now.
“Thanks. You ready to go? I don’t think we should be late,” I suggest as he gets up off his seat, and Nikoli walks into the room, dropping his phone into his pocket.
“Gold, it is good to see you looking so well,” Nikoli says, coming over and hugging me quickly. A threatening growl slips out of Cain’s throat, and Nikoli laughs as he turns to face him. “Because I remember the extremely possessive stage before mating, I will forget that growl.”
“I think it’s best we leave before we have a repeat of that time in New York,” Cain threatens playfully, coming over to me and sliding an arm around my waist. I chuckle at the possessive move, but then I remember how I felt just seeing the Gerry girl flirting with Callum and completely get Cain’s reaction.
“When you lost the fight in New York you mean,” Nikoli says with a loud laugh, sitting on the edge of his desk.
“I didn’t lose, you passed out. I felt bad hitting a drunk guy,” Cain replies smoothly, chuckling himself.
“You fell off the building!” Nikoli laughs, like falling off a building is a totally normal thing. I give them both wide eyed looks, and they ignore me.
“After you passed out, so I still won,” Cain responds.
“Get out my pack before I throw you out, you cheeky bastard,” Nikoli says, still laughing, and I know why these two get along so well now. They are both clearly crazy.
“Later, old man!” Cain shouts as he leads me out the room, and we hear Nikoli muttering under his breath about annoying bears as we walk outside.
“Help me get the suitcase and bags in?” I ask.
“How did you manage to pack all your things and get dressed in an hour?” Cain asks as he unlocks the car and opens the boot. I pick up my two bags as he gets the suitcase and we stuff them in the boot easily.
“This is, maybe, five percent of my things. I will need a big closet at the house. I like to shop,” I say, winking at his amused face as I walk around the car and get inside.
“We could change your room into a massive closet when you are mated to us all. You could change the beds and everything, if you like,” he suggests, somehow making it sound normal, rather than the dirty version my head made up.
“Or we transform two of the rooms into one and put a giant bed in there. Then we could all share,” I innocently suggest as Cain starts the car and stalls in shock at my suggestion. He clears his throat before starting the car up again and driving it away from the house.
“I doubt that would go down well with my brothers. See I snore. Callum kicks in his sleep, and Chase would tell us all the fuck off if we accidentally touched him,” Cain says, causing me to laugh.
“How about just you, me, and the rogue then?” I tease.
“I’m not totally against the idea. Sharing you would be hot,” Cain replies, making me choke on air as I didn’t expect that dead serious response.
“You would really be down for that?” I ask, and he nods, looking over at me for a second.
“I would be down for anything with you G-G.”
* * *
“I will leave the car here, and we can walk up. The party is in the main centre, and it gets pretty packed with people,” Cain explains as he pulls up on the side of the road. I slide out of the car, wrapping my arms around myself as the cold wind blows against me. I see the lights ahead of us down the path and walk to Cain’s side as he locks the car. He wraps an arm around me, holding me close to him as we walk towards the party, and his heat keeps me warm. I can see dozens of lanterns tied to trees, lighting everything up so we can clearly see where we are going.
“How many bears are in the pack?” I ask.
“Two-hundred and twenty-two,” he answers.
“How many of them are going to be okay with a wolf as alpha female?” I ask next, and he holds me closer, as if he doesn’t like the question.
“All of them, or they are welcome to change packs. At the end of the day, I know you would protect them if it was needed, and they will come to see that too,” he comforts me with his words, but I still worry. Bears and wolves don’t usually get along in nature, so it makes little sense that a bear pack would want to be led by a wolf.
“I don’t want to disappoint anyone. I always take any job very seriously. I was beta for the Forest Pack since the beginning because I never backed down from my job. I was challenged for the position eighty-two times over the years, and I won every one. I like to do my best, and I am scared I won’t do my best this time,” I explain.
“You will. Do not be so hard on yourself. When I first met you at that party, I thought that a wolf was a terrible idea for an alpha female of a bear pack, and that you wouldn’t be able to handle it. Then you told three alpha bears to piss off and went after your family as they needed you,” he chuckles and kisses the side of my head. “If that isn’t an alpha female to respect, then who knows what is.” I stare up at him for a second and lean up, kissing his cheek.
“You say the nicest things I’ve ever heard from anyone. Things that I know I will never forget,” I tell him, and he has a big smile on his face as we walk through a few people standing around talking, and get to the water fountain. There are tables with food, gifts, drinks, and blue balloons with lights inside of them near the fountain. Inside the foundation some has put dozens of waterproof fake candle lights, which float on the water. There are dozens of people gathered around, laughing and dancing to the music played by a band set up on the other side of the fountain. I smile at the children holding balloons and running around happily.
“Come and dance with me?” Cain asks, and I nod, taking his hand as he leads us through the people. Many touch my shoulder or arm, saying hello and congratulating us on finding our mates. Not one of these bears seem anything but happy to see us as Cain maneuvers us to where most of the couples are dancing and pulls me into his arms. We sway together to the soothing music, and I stare up at him.
“I like you,” I whisper, and he grins, leaning down.
“I more than like you, Gold. Now show me how much you like me,” he asks, and I lean up, brushing my lips against his, teasing him with gentle strokes before deepening the kiss as he pulls me against him. Right now, I can’t think of anything other than Cain’s lips and the firm, yet soft way they brush against my own. Somehow, we never stop dancing as we kiss, neither one of us wanting to let go of each other. I pull away when I hear a loud scream, followed by deep growls, and more screams in the distance. Cain takes off through the crowd as they run away from something and head towards us. I push through the panicked people, who seem to see me and part. I rip the bottom of my dress away so I can run faster as more bears run away from the screaming. I quickly follow Cain when I spot him, glancing to my side when I feel Callum step next to me and take my hand.
“What the fuck is going on?” I hear Cain shout as we push our way through the crowd, and then we see three dead bears on the ground. One seems to be just barely hanging on, and she lifts a blood soaked hand, pointing to the woods behind the house.
“They took my son.” I don’t even think as I run, shifting into my wolf in a second and jumping over a car in the direction of the intruder. No one steals from my pack.